There’s no denying that a hangover is not a fun experience to go through.
While it may result from a fun night, you can be left with any number of different ailments as a result.
Those who are familiar with these resulting feelings may often have a go-to remedy for curing their hangover.
Others are unsure what they can do to help the situation.
It’s not uncommon for people to think that coffee can be the solution.
After all, it’s known for giving you a boost during normal days. Many people rely on it to pull them out of their groggy state, and assume it can do the same to aid them after a night of drinking.
However, is coffee really a decent cure for a hangover?
Read on to find out!
Where Do Hangovers Come From?
Many of us are familiar with the feeling of a hangover.
Just about everything becomes harder, lights are too bright, sounds are too loud and you’d do just about anything to make the suffering stop!
Typically, hangovers can leave you dehydrated and with an intense headache at the very least.
This is because alcohol is highly efficient at dehydrating your body, so even though you may have had a lot to drink your body isn’t going to respond as though you were drinking water.
Some of the most common answers for hangovers are greasy food, a little bit more alcohol and of course, coffee.
There are some people who even swear by one or more of these methods, but for many of us they aren’t a complete answer.
Greasy food can even leave you feeling worse, and odds are you’re already dehydrated so adding more alcohol into the mix isn’t the best idea.
While coffee is a useful product under normal circumstances, that doesn’t guarantee that it will have a strong effect to mend a hangover.
That said, what about coffee? Can it help to ease or cure a hangover?
Will Coffee Help?
Many of us rely on coffee daily to get a boost to help us get moving for the day.
Because of that, it’s only natural to think that kind of a boost would be helpful when you have a hangover.
There are some aspects that coffee can help with, such as helping you to be a little more alert and awake.
However, it’s not going to be the answer for headaches, dehydration and may even worsen an upset stomach.
Consequently, it’s important to take into consideration the actual needs of your body when you have a hangover.
Another aspect to consider is that coffee can speed up your metabolism a little bit, which can result in you getting hungry.
If you’re at a point in your hangover in which eating doesn’t sound pleasant, then it might be a good idea to avoid coffee until you’re ready to eat.
Otherwise, having more of an appetite and eating a decent meal can help you with feeling better overall, assuming you can keep it down.
Also, make sure to keep in mind that there is such thing as too much caffeine in general.
While coffee can be a helpful part of healing a hangover, it’s not going to be a solution within itself.
What Should I Be Wary Of?
Considering that you’re already going to be overly-sensitive to the world around you, being more alert may not be the way you want to go.
This is only going to make things like lights and sounds even more prominent, causing more frustration.
That also isn’t going to help a headache.
The acidity in coffee can also be unfriendly to your stomach if it’s already feeling off, and the caffeine can stop you from having the ability to sleep the hangover off.
One of the reasons people go to coffee is because it has a tendency to create opposite effects to the hangover itself.
However, that can create more problems than it may solve, depending on how hangovers effect you personally.
Can It Help With Sobering Up Before Bed?
It’s commonly thought that coffee can help you with sobering up, which can be an enticing thought if you’re hoping to sober up before bed to avoid a hangover the next morning.
Because coffee is known to keep you awake and alert, people often think it can counter the sedative effects of alcohol on the body.
However, that isn’t entirely true.
While coffee can help to make you more awake, it’s not going to combat the alcohol enough to suddenly make you sober.
The only way for that to happen is with time, rest and plenty of water.
For those who have problems sleeping with alcohol in their system, coffee is only going to make the problem worse.
Therefore, it’s best to save the coffee for later the next day to give you a boost after the worst of the effects are over.
So, What Should I Do?
Putting it concisely, when you have a hangover you are likely tired, dehydrated, have an upset stomach and a headache.
A lot of this is going to be due to dehydration, so a glass of water should be your first go-to for the morning.
If you feel that you can handle it, some dry, gentle food is a good idea as well. Something like plain crackers or bread can be helpful.
Getting some more sleep is going to be a great way to help give your body some time to heal. So if you have time, get some more sleep in!
Once you’ve eased some of the more annoying issues, then a small amount of coffee may be useful. Just be careful to wait until the headache and stomach problems have subsided at least and try not to have too much!
If you can, it will also be best to have this coffee with a more nutritious meal to help get your body back on track.
In some cases, taking an over-the-counter medicine can help to ease the pain.
For example, Aspirin or a similar product can work to ease the headache and make sounds and lights a little less painful.
An antacid can also help to set your stomach right again, allowing you to get some real nutrition into your body.
There are really a number of methods out there, ranging from the realistic to some that are downright insane.
It’s important to make sure you find the one that works most importantly for you.
What’s The Best Method?
Overall, the best method possible is to avoid drinking enough to end up with a hangover altogether.
Most people enjoy a night of drinking from time to time, whether it’s to celebrate or just have some fun with friends.
One of the best things you can do is to moderate your drinking.
Make sure you don’t have too much, too quickly.
It’s also a good idea to drink plenty of water in between alcoholic drinks, this can help to protect you from the effects of dehydration.
This is doubly true if you need to be up and about much the next day. No one wants to have to cancel plans due to a hangover!
On a side note, make sure you have a designated driver or other safe way to get home!
There’s no denying that alcohol can be a fun addition to a party or outing, but it’s important to be smart about it!
Keep in mind that while it can be enjoyable, it does also function as a poison to the body.
The best way to avoid a painful morning, stay smart while you drink!
